HMAS Albatross

HMAS Albatross is a Royal Australian Navy (RAN) naval air station in support of the RAN's aviation branch, the Fleet Air Arm. The base, located near Nowra, New South Wales, was formally established in May 1942 as Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) base RAAF Nowra, then was transferred to the Royal Navy as HMS Nabbington in 1944, and operated as a naval air station until it was decommissioned in late 1945. In 1948, the airfield was commissioned into the RAN as HMAS Albatross, as the primary shore base for the Fleet Air Arm. Since 2011, four squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm operate from Albatross. The current commander of the base is Captain Fiona Sneath, RAN.The base is home to the military airport Naval Air Station (NAS) Nowra, completed in June 1941.HistoryThe current site of HMAS Albatross was identified in 1938 and land was purchased in June 1939. Construction proceeded at what seems to be a leisurely pace considering it was war time, until the airfield was declared operational in June 1941. The airfield was used by squadrons of the Bristol Beaufort torpedo bombers of RAAF when it opened in May 1942. Martin Marauder bombers of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) were also based there in 1942 - 43 for training as torpedo bombers.